Sometimes, abortion can save a mother’s life. At Vani Vilas hospital in Bangalore, the Guardian reports doctors and nurses are learning abortion techniques deaths to combat maternal death in India, where nine percent of such deaths are caused by unsafe abortions.

Access to safe services has been low because the outdated surgical technique known as dilation and curettage (D&C) has been in practice, though the manual vacuum aspiration technique is much more effective and safer. Ipo, an NGO, now offers a four-day training program to learn the technique at the Vani Vilas hospital. The hospital also offers pre- and post-abortion counseling, which Dr. Geeta Shivamurthy considers important because “some women will not open up.” “You should be non-judgmental and remember that it is her choice to have an abortion and it is her choice what contraception she wishes to use,” she tells her classes. “She must make these decisions without pressure or coercion.”

Abortions are legal in India, where obtaining a safe and sterile procedure is a primary issue for women.